Proceedings of the Ninth North American Blueberry Research and Extension Workers Conference

Improve yield and quality to give consumers the best blueberries on the market

Proceedings of the 9th North American Blueberry Research and Extension Workers Conference presents the current status of the blueberry industry and recent developments in the biology, breeding, and production of blueberries throughout all of North America. In this extensive transcript of the convention--which occurred in Halifax, Nova Scotia, during the summer of 2002--experts have contributed the most cutting-edge research on the commercial production of the blueberry, specifically focusing on increasing crop yield and fruit quality through various techniques and strategies. With original studies and experimental trials in such important issues as soil amendment, fertilizer, and weed control, this book is a valuable resource for anyone involved in the industry.

With this book, you'll learn a variety of ways to influence:

• the mineral nutrition of blueberries
• blueberry diseases and pathology
• insect control
• blueberry flower bud development
• the length of time between harvest and the storage, processing, and marketing of blueberries

Specifically, these proceedings introduce such recent and ongoing research on blueberries as:

• a possible sexual function specialization in the lowbush blueberry
• chilling requirement studies
• effects of sunlight or shade on maturity and optical density
• screenhouse evaluations of the Mason Bee Osmia ribifloris as a pollinator in the Southeastern United States
• efficient mowing for pruning wild blueberry fields
• and much more

With over 35 different studies on blueberries from planting to postharvesting, you'll gain an extraordinary amount of knowledge and methodology to expand upon in your own work. The text comes complete with tables, graphs, figures, and photos, providing you with valuable visual aids. Whether you are a producer, marketer, or researcher, this book will be an asset to your professional knowledge.